Pick-up trucks make up a large percentage of the vehicles on the road today. Conventional pick-up trucks generally have an open truck bed of various dimensions located aft of the cab of the truck. The open truck bed allows for hauling of different types of cargo and allows easy access to the truck bed. However, multiple problems are associated with an open truck bed. One, is the open truck bed is exposed to the weather elements and debris that can accumulate within the truck bed. Further, cargo loaded into the truck bed is susceptible to the possibility of being stolen, damaged by the weather, or blown from the truck bed. Additionally, an open truck bed creates drag on a traveling truck by air impinging on the tailgate and sidewalls reducing fuel economy.
To overcome these problems many different truck bed covers of a myriad of designs have been devised for the purpose of covering truck beds. These truck bed covers allow for greater security of cargo, minimize exposure to weather elements, prevent smaller cargo from being blown from the truck bed, and reduce drag on the truck.
A first heretofore devised truck bed cover includes a flexible sheet of material rolled upon a spool positioned behind the cab of the truck. The sheet material is unrolled from the spool to cover the truck bed and is retracted back onto the spool to uncover the truck bed. A second type of truck bed cover is a soft cover, usually constructed of vinyl or fabric material, which are usually fastened to the truck bed by snaps or guide rails. A third general type of truck bed cover is a hard cover. A hard cover is made from rigid plastic or fiberglass material and is comprised of one or more solid doors, hinged to the truck bed. Hard covers tend to provide better covering of the bed and greater security of the cargo within the bed. However, hard covers tend to be heavy and difficult to open, difficult to attach to the truck bed, and limit the available cargo space above the side rails of the truck bed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a hard truck bed covering of an improved construction and operation that is easily opened, easily attached without damaging the truck bed, and which does not limit the cargo space available above the side rails of the truck bed.